Lay mininsters may not cleanse Communion vessels, Pope Benedict says

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I posted this here since it concerns our liturgy. I wasn’t sure if should go in the news forum.

catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0606058.htm

Lay ministers may not cleanse Communion vessels, Pope Benedict says

By Nancy Frazier O’Brien
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) – At the direction of Pope Benedict XVI, extraordinary ministers of holy Communion will no longer be permitted to assist in the purification of the sacred vessels at Masses in the United States.

In an Oct. 23 letter, Bishop William S. Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, asked his fellow bishops to inform all pastors of the change, which was prompted by a letter from Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

The U.S. bishops had asked the Vatican to extend an indult – or church permission – in effect since 2002 …

Bishop Skylstad, who heads the Diocese of Spokane, Wash., said Cardinal Arinze asked Pope Benedict about the matter during a June 9 audience, “and received a response in the negative.”
 
MrS said:
Wonderful !!

Next Item… the lay ministers…😉

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What about the lay ministers? Are you IMPLYING to get rid of them? If so, who do you propose to bring Communion to the sick & homebound?

Last week I spend over 3 hours bring Communion to the homebound. There are about 40 lay ministers in our parish. Asuming they spend an equal amount of time in this ministery, that comes out to about 120 hours a week that is devoted bringing Communion to the homebound.

If you get rid of the lay ministers, that will leave our two parish priests and one deacon with 120 hours of extra work a week – or 40 hours each. How do you propose they manage this extra work load?
 
Sir_Knight said:
If so, who do you propose to bring Communion to the sick & homebound?
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We are talking about extraordinary ministers at mass. Prior to the 60s/70s there never were lay people distributing Communion at mass, now many parishes practically have a 2 to 1 ratio of extraordinary ministers to communicants.
 
When is this supposed to ‘take effect’? Is it being ‘announced’ via a news article, or do things like this actually get officially communicated to the Bishops and then ‘officially’ trickled down to parishes?

Also - is there anything about priests having to purify vessels immediatley after Communion, or can this still be done after Mass? Our priest hurriedly stacks all our glass plates and glass chalices to the side of the altar so they can be purified after Mass back in the sacristy.
 
Elzee said:
When is this supposed to ‘take effect’? Is it being ‘announced’ via a news article, or do things like this actually get officially communicated to the Bishops and then ‘officially’ trickled down to parishes?

Also - is there anything about priests having to purify vessels immediatley after Communion, or can this still be done after Mass? Our priest hurriedly stacks all our glass plates and glass chalices to the side of the altar so they can be purified after Mass back in the sacristy.
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I would like to see this performed in the back, as we have a deacon who licks his finger and runs it around the ciborium several times to “cleanse” them. Ick, to say the least, as it’s my understanding no soap is used on the sacred vessels.
 
Elzee said:
When is this supposed to ‘take effect’? Is it being ‘announced’ via a news article, or do things like this actually get officially communicated to the Bishops and then ‘officially’ trickled down to parishes?

Also - is there anything about priests having to purify vessels immediatley after Communion, or can this still be done after Mass? Our priest hurriedly stacks all our glass plates and glass chalices to the side of the altar so they can be purified after Mass back in the sacristy.
Click to expand...
From what the article says—the bishops should be notifing the pastors. How soon this happens ----we shall see.

catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0606058.htm

In an Oct. 23 letter, Bishop William S. Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, asked his fellow bishops to inform all pastors of the change, which was prompted by a letter from Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.
 
Walking_Home said:
I posted this here since it concerns our liturgy. I wasn’t sure if should go in the news forum.

catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0606058.htm

Lay ministers may not cleanse Communion vessels, Pope Benedict says

By Nancy Frazier O’Brien
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) – At the direction of Pope Benedict XVI, extraordinary ministers of holy Communion will no longer be permitted to assist in the purification of the sacred vessels at Masses in the United States.

In an Oct. 23 letter, Bishop William S. Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, asked his fellow bishops to inform all pastors of the change, which was prompted by a letter from Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

The U.S. bishops had asked the Vatican to extend an indult – or church permission – in effect since 2002 …

Bishop Skylstad, who heads the Diocese of Spokane, Wash., said Cardinal Arinze asked Pope Benedict about the matter during a June 9 audience, “and received a response in the negative.”
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Great. Another directive from the Pope that can be ignored with impunity by most American priests and bishops.

Goody. 👍
 
Dr.Bombay said:
Great. Another directive from the Pope that can be ignored with impunity by most American priests and bishops.

Goody. 👍
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Ah, Dr. Bombay, always the bitter ray of sunshine. Where is your faith in the American episcopate???
 
Elzee said:
When is this supposed to ‘take effect’? Is it being ‘announced’ via a news article, or do things like this actually get officially communicated to the Bishops and then ‘officially’ trickled down to parishes? .
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It became effective when it is promulgated, namely, when the responsum is either published or otherwise made know to the bishops.

Since Bishop Skyland, the acting president of the USCCB, has been informed, the policy is in effect now.

A pastor who has not been informed of this by his bishop would not be guilt of disobedence, but if a bishop willingly withheld this information from their pastors, the bishop himself would be guilty of disobedience.
 
OutinChgoburbs said:
I would like to see this performed in the back, as we have a deacon who licks his finger and runs it around the ciborium several times to “cleanse” them. Ick, to say the least, as it’s my understanding no soap is used on the sacred vessels.
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:eek:!!! And I thought we were the only ones!!
Our priest wipes the edge of the pitcher (yes - he consecrates the wine in a pitcher) and the chalices with his fingers and licks them. For the ciborium - a.k.a. glass plates - he licks his fingers and uses them as a magnet to pick up fragments. I just close my eyes and pray for him. God help us.
 
Sir_Knight said:
What about the lay ministers? Are you IMPLYING to get rid of them? If so, who do you propose to bring Communion to the sick & homebound?

Last week I spend over 3 hours bring Communion to the homebound. There are about 40 lay ministers in our parish. Asuming they spend an equal amount of time in this ministery, that comes out to about 120 hours a week that is devoted bringing Communion to the homebound.

If you get rid of the lay ministers, that will leave our two parish priests and one deacon with 120 hours of extra work a week – or 40 hours each. How do you propose they manage this extra work load?
Click to expand...

In addition to which: there may not be any ministers but lay acolytes or servers who are laymen. Some dioceses simply do not have many clerics. And this is as relevant a question for Mass offered according to the rubrics of the unreformed Roman Rite as for Mass offered according to the reformed Missal of Paul VI.​

I wonder whether this document is for the USA alone, or for the rest of us as well.

I find the strength of feeling against Eucharistic Ministers very sad. ##
 
Elzee said:
When is this supposed to ‘take effect’? Is it being ‘announced’ via a news article, or do things like this actually get officially communicated to the Bishops and then ‘officially’ trickled down to parishes?

Also - is there anything about priests having to purify vessels immediatley after Communion, or can this still be done after Mass? Our priest hurriedly stacks all our glass plates and glass chalices to the side of the altar so they can be purified after Mass back in the sacristy.
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The USCCB has a temp approval which expired 28 March 2005 but never changed to the GIRM, hoping to get approval from the Holy See. I would not look for a change because the USCCB does as it does.
 
Gottle_of_Geer said:

In addition to which: there may not be any ministers but lay acolytes or servers who are laymen. Some dioceses simply do not have many clerics. And this is as relevant a question for Mass offered according to the rubrics of the unreformed Roman Rite as for Mass offered according to the reformed Missal of Paul VI.​

I wonder whether this document is for the USA alone, or for the rest of us as well.

I find the strength of feeling against Eucharistic Ministers very sad. ##
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There is no change to the duties of the Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist except that they can not purify the sacred vessels. This is not new to the GIRM. The USCCB just had a temp approval which expired in 2005. They requested renewal or approval for the US but Rome said no. I am an EMOE and see no change to my duties; except I will not be able to purify the vessels.
 
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